2017 Drama Desk Awards Winners Announced
Winners for the 62nd Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced last evening at The Town Hall!
In keeping with Drama Desk’s mission, nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway during the 2016–2017 New York theater season in the same competitive categories.
TheaterMania.com presented the awards ceremony. Gretchen Shugart is Managing Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards and Charles Wright is the president of the Drama Desk. Joey Parnes Productions produced and managed the show. The Awards show was written by Jonathan Tolins ((Buyer and Cellar, The Twilight of the Golds, The Last Sunday in June), directed by Mark Waldrop (Not That Jewish, Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends), and hosted by Michael Urie (Drama Desk Award winner for Buyer & Cellar, “Ugly Betty”).
Samuel French is thrilled for all winners, especially those in the Samuel French family: Jitney, Great Comet, The Price, The Wolves, and Present Laughter.
2017 DRAMA DESK AWARD NOMINATIONS
Outstanding Play
If I Forget, by Steven Levenson, Roundabout Theatre Company
Indecent, by Paula Vogel, Vineyard Theatre
A Life, by Adam Bock, Playwrights Horizons
*Oslo, by J. T. Rogers, Lincoln Center Theater
Sweat, by Lynn Nottage, The Public Theater
Outstanding Musical
Anastasia
The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
*Come From Away
Hadestown, New York Theatre Workshop
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Front Page
The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
*Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
“Master Harold”… and the Boys, Signature Theatre Company
Picnic, Transport Group Theatre Company
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Falsettos, Lincoln Center Theater
*Hello, Dolly!
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweet Charity, The New Group
Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Keen Company
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Daniel Craig, Othello, New York Theatre Workshop
*Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
David Hyde Pierce, A Life, Playwrights Horizons
John Douglas Thompson, Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Cate Blanchett, The Present
*Laura Linney, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Amy Ryan, Love, Love, Love, Roundabout Theatre Company
Harriet Walter, The Tempest, St. Ann’s Warehouse
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Nick Blaemire, Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Keen Company
Jon Jon Briones, Miss Saigon
Nick Cordero, A Bronx Tale
*Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
Jeremy Secomb, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Christy Altomare, Anastasia
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Sutton Foster, Sweet Charity, The New Group
Patti LuPone, War Paint
*Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
Laura Osnes, Bandstand
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo, Lincoln Center Theater
*Danny DeVito, The Price, Roundabout Theatre Company
Nathan Lane, The Front Page
Jeremy Shamos, If I Forget, Roundabout Theatre Company
Justice Smith, Yen, MCC Theater
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Randy Graff, The Babylon Line, Lincoln Center Theater
Marie Mullen, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, BAM
*Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Emily Skinner, Picnic
Kate Walsh, If I Forget, Roundabout Theatre Company
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
*Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
Jeffry Denman, Kid Victory, Vineyard Theatre
George Salazar, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Ari’el Stachel, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos, Lincoln Center Theater
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin. Hello, Dolly!
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos, Lincoln Center Theater
*Jenn Colella, Come From Away
Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia
Nora Schell, Spamilton
Outstanding Director of a Play
Richard Jones, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Anne Kauffman, A Life, Playwrights Horizons
Richard Nelson, What Did You Expect?/Women of a Certain Age, The Public Theater
*Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
Daniel Sullivan, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Daniel Sullivan, If I Forget, Roundabout Theatre Company
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
Bill Buckhurst, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
*Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
*David Cromer, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!
Outstanding Choreography
*Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Warren Carlyle, Hello, Dolly!
Aletta Collins, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Kelly Devine, Come From Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn, Roundabout Theatre Company
Outstanding Music
Stephen Flaherty, Anastasia
Dave Malloy, Beardo, Pipeline Theatre Company
Richard Oberacker, Bandstand
Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away
*David Yazbek, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Lyrics
Gerard Alessandrini, Spamilton
GQ and JQ, Othello: The Remix
Michael Korie, War Paint
Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away
*David Yazbek, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Book of a Musical
Terrence McNally, Anastasia
Itamar Moses, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor, Bandstand
*Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away
Joe Tracz, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Outstanding Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, Anastasia
Bruce Coughlin, War Paint
Benjamin Cox, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
*Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
August Eriksmoen, Come From Away
Jamshied Sharifi, The Band’s Visit, Atlantic Theater Company
Outstanding Music in a Play
Daniel Ocanto, Graham Ulicny, and Sean Smith, Alligator, New Georges in collaboration with the Sol Project
Marcus Shelby, Notes from the Field, Second Stage
*Bill Sims Jr., Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
Outstanding Revue
Hello Dillie!, 59E59
*Life is for Living: Conversations with Coward, 59E59
Outstanding Set Design for a Play
David Gallo, Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
*Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
Laura Jellinek, A Life, Playwrights Horizons
Stewart Laing, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Lez Brotherston, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, St. Ann’s Warehouse
Simon Kenny, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
*Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Jason Sherwood, The View UpStairs
Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
*Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
Murell Horton, The Liar, CSC
Toni-Leslie James, Jitney, Manhattan Theatre Club
Stewart Laing, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Ann Roth, The Front Page
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia
Toni-Leslie James, Come From Away
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Anita Yavich, The View UpStairs
Paloma Young, Bandstand
*Catherine Zuber, War Paint
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
*Christopher Akerlind, Indecent, Vineyard Theatre
James Farncombe, The Tempest, St. Ann’s Warehouse
Rick Fisher, The Judas Kiss, Brooklyn Academy of Music
Mimi Jordan Sherin, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
Stephen Strawbridge, “Master Harold”…and the Boys, Signature Theatre Company
Justin Townsend, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Jeff Croiter, Bandstand
Mark Henderson, Sunset Boulevard
Bradley King, Hadestown, New York Theatre Workshop
*Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Amy Mae, Sweeney Todd: The Barber of Fleet Street
Malcolm Rippeth, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, St. Ann’s Warehouse
Outstanding Projection Design
Reid Farrington, CasablancaBox, HERE
Elaine McCarthy, Notes from the Field, Second Stage
Jared Mezzocchi, Vietgone, Manhattan Theatre Club
John Narun, Gorey: The Secret Lives of Edward Gorey, Life Jacket Theatre Company
*Aaron Rhyne, Anastasia
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Mikhail Fiksel, A Life, Playwrights Horizons
*Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, The Encounter
Brian Quijada, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Ensemble Studio Theatre/Radio Drama Network
Leon Rothenberg, Notes from the Field, Second Stage
Jane Shaw, Men on Boats, Playwrights Horizons/Clubbed Thumb
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Simon Baker, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, St. Ann’s Warehouse
Peter Hylenski, Anastasia
Scott Lehrer, Hello, Dolly!
*Nicholas Pope, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Mick Potter, Cats
Brian Ronan, War Paint
Matt Stine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Wig and Hair
*David Brian Brown, War Paint
Campbell Young Associates, Hello, Dolly!
J. Jared Janas, Yours Unfaithfully, Mint Theatre Company
Jason Hayes, The View UpStairs
Josh Marquette, Present Laughter
Tom Watson, The Little Foxes, Manhattan Theatre Club
Outstanding Solo Performance
Nancy Anderson, The Pen (Inner Voices), Premieres
*Ed Dixon, Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose
Marin Ireland, On the Exhale, Roundabout Underground
Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date, Manhattan Theatre Club
Brian Quijada, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Ensemble Studio Theatre/Radio Drama Network
Anna Deavere Smith, Notes from the Field, Second Stage
Unique Theatrical Experience
CasablancaBox, HERE
The Paper Hat Game, The Tank/3-Legged Dog
*The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, National Theatre of Scotland
The Ephemera Trilogy, The Tank
Outstanding Fight Choreography
J. David Brimmer, Yen, MCC Theatre
Donal O’Farrell, Quietly, Irish Repertory Theatre
Michael Rossmy and Rick Sordelet, Troilus and Cressida, New York Shakespeare Festival
Thomas Schall, Othello, New York Theatre Workshop
Thomas Schall, The Hairy Ape, Park Avenue Armory
*U. Jonathan Toppo, Sweat, The Public Theater
Outstanding Adaptation
*David Ives, The Liar, Classic Stage Company
Ellen McLaughlin, The Trojan Women, The Flea Theatre
Outstanding Puppet Design
*Basil Twist, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Lyndie Wright, Sarah Wright, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, St. Ann’s Warehouse
SPECIAL AWARDS:
Outstanding Ensemble
The Wolves, The Playwrights Realm: The superbly talented cast of Sarah DeLappe’s debut play -Mia Barron, Brenna Coates, Jenna Dioguardi, Samia Finnerty, Midori Francis, Lizzy Jutila, Sarah Mezzanotte, Tedra Millan, Lauren Patten, and Susannah Perkins-jelled as one, proving that team spirit is just a alive on the stage as it is on the soccer field.
Special Award to Phil LaDuca: Proving that character comes from the ground up, the designer’s innovative flexible dance shoe ensures that hoofers on any stage remain on point.
Sam Norkin Award: Lila Neugebauer: During a season that saw her helm the original works The Antipodes, Everybody, Miles For Mary, and The Wolves, and resurrect the works of esteemed playwrights Edward Albee, Maria Irene Fornes, and Adrienne Kennedy in Signature Plays, director Lila Neugebauer has shown that her dauntless insight into the human condition knows no bounds.
